This podcast is for intermediate to advanced English learners. I use core vocabulary to tell you a story about something that happened in my daily life in Canada. Each podcast also includes a pronunciation lesson that explains something I said in the story. You’ll hear the story twice. The first time, the story is a little slower than normal. After the pronunciation lesson, you’ll hear the story again, but at a regular speed. I speak naturally and with a standard American accent.

Transcript

On a recent Friday night, I went downtown Toronto for a night out with friends. I really don’t like driving downtown. There’s so much traffic crowded into a very small space, and parking is so expensive! I decided to take the bus instead. There’s an express bus from my suburb that will take me straight downtown without stopping. The buses are really nice and the seats are really comfortable. I thought it would be more relaxing and less stressful than driving, but I was wrong!

On that Friday night there were tons of people heading downtown, so the bus was packed. My friend and I couldn’t get 2 seats together, so we had to sit on opposite sides of the aisle. I had the great misfortune to sit next to a complete stranger who insisted on telling me his entire life story … for 45 minutes! I didn’t want to be rude to him, but I really didn’t feel like talking to him. I just wanted to rest & relax. I tried to ignore him and look uninterested, but that didn’t work. He just kept talking. It sounded like he had a really sad life. At the end of the bus trip, he asked me to go out with him and then he tried to give me his phone number. What was he thinking? I don’t think he was all that bright.

To make things worse, the bus was so packed that people were standing in the aisle and sitting on the aisle floor. There was a guy sitting on the floor next to me who had not showered for days. Not only did he smell of B.O., but he started eating the smelliest crackers ever. He ate the entire package. It was disgusting.

You know, I think I would have been better off driving downtown instead of taking the bus!

Pronunciation:

In the story, I used the pronouns he, him, and his frequently. Did you notice that I didn’t fully pronounce them?

Listen carefully:I tried to ignore him…I don’t think he was all that bright.What was he thinking?

Pronouns are functions words. They’re grammar words. They need to be there for the sentence to be grammatically correct, but they’re not important words. Function words are not fully pronounced in a sentence.

When any pronoun with h is in the middle of the sentence (and NOT at the beginning), you don’t need to pronounce the h. You can drop the h, and then link the pronoun to the previous consonant sound.

Then he becomes /ðɛni/was he becomes /wəzi/ignore him becomes /ɪgˈnoɚɪm/

Listen to the story again. Can you hear more examples of pronouns without the h sound?

Related blog posts:

Reference Vocabulary

relaxing (adjective)I thought it would be more relaxing and less stressful than driving,…
= describes something makes you feel relaxed (calm, pleasant, less tense, etc.)

stressful (adjective)I thought it would be more relaxing and less stressful than driving,…
= describes something that causes you to feel stressed (something that causes you to feel worried, tense, anxious etc.)

aisle…so we had to sit on opposite sides of the aisle.…people were standing in the aisle and sitting on the aisle floor
= a passage or walkway in the middle of seats (on an airplane, train, bus, or in a theatre, church, etc.) or between shelves in a store

uninterested (adjective)I tried to ignore him and look uninterested, but that didn’t work.
= not interested; don’t want to learn or know more about something

shower (verb)There was a guy sitting on the floor next to me who had not showered for days.
= to take a shower

B.O.Not only did he smell of B.O.,
= body odor; the unpleasant smell of someone’s body when they have not washed for a long time

crackers…he started eating the smelliest crackers ever.
= a very thin, dry, baked biscuit, usually made of flour and water

better off (adjective: well-off)You know, I think I would have been better off driving downtown instead of taking the bus!
= in a better position or situation

Phrasal Verbs:

to go out with someoneAt the end of the bus trip, he asked me to go out with him and then he tried to give me his phone number.
= go on a date with someone (in this context)
(For other uses of ‘go out with,’ click here.)

boedy buddy

Samantha

May 9, 2012 at 9:38 pm (3 years ago)

Hi Melanie

I have a question, when you say ‘In addition parking downtown “costs” an arm and a leg’ I heard “cost” instead of “costs” am I right? I heard the audio several times and I still continue hearing “cost”. I hope you answer me.

Melanie

May 10, 2012 at 2:55 pm (3 years ago)

Hi, Samantha!

I listened to the podcast again, and I did say ‘costs.’ ‘Costs’ ends with the -sts consonant cluster. In the listening lesson ‘Baby Gifts’ and I explain how to pronounce this cluster. This might help you to hear the cluster better in ‘costs’!

Vanessa

November 30, 2012 at 10:41 am (3 years ago)

Hi Melanie,
When I listened this podcast, I had a question to a sentence “I find it difficult to drive on roads with streetcar tracks. “. Would it be also right if I say ” I find it is difficult to…”? Thanks. Vanessa

Thom

Thom

April 23, 2013 at 1:46 am (2 years ago)

Can I tell you about MY worst bus ride ever? Here it is. I took a mini-bus (actually a van) from Nan, Thailand to Chiang Mai, Thailand. During the bus trip, the driver sped around blind corners WHILE passing other cars. That means we were on the wrong side of the road and he couldn’t see more than 50 meters. My hands were white from holding the safety strap. Now I know the reason Thailand is the 4th most dangerous place in the world to take a bus.

Melanie

taweesak

October 3, 2013 at 10:41 pm (2 years ago)

Good morning teacher
I’m thai, I am trying to learn more in english then met you and telling everyone that I know to join this excellence webside together. I intend to listen in every lesson, for “The worst bus ride ever!” it is very funny for me, it just lovely experience of you. ^^!
Thanks for your kindness.

Melanie

Dehghan

April 3, 2014 at 3:52 pm (1 year ago)

Hi Dear Melanie
I m a teacher of english from Iran. I stumbled on your site by chance and believe me I found a treasure trove there. I keep introducing your site to my students and they also have found it quite innovative and helpful. Thak you for the good job.
Dehghn

Jango Fonseca

June 27, 2015 at 6:50 am (1 month ago)

Hi, Melanie. Sorry to bother you, but I thought you might help me. I’d like to download the episode “Worst bus ride ever”, but I simply can’t. Is it because I have Mac computer ? If so, what would you recommend ? I looked it up in iTunes but they don’t have this episode. Thanks for your help !